Life is Never Straightforward
by DarkDanny
Summary: Connection Series: A tragic incident reshapes John and Tali's life forever.
1. The News

**Welcome to Life is Never Straightforward. **

**Man, I'm releasing like crazy now. Released That Scar on Saturday, Favorite Spot on the Citadel Tuesday... Anyways, this fic will be a threeshot. I hope you like it. Or at the very least interested how this plays out.**

**...**

**Chapter One: The News**

She really hated having to go back on active duty. It meant for the next five months, she would be confined to the occasional two week R&R rotation and weekend passes, cutting her time with her daughter. This would be her last rotation. She did not have the stomach to continue service.

Sarah Shepard's alliance career was much shorter and far less glamorous as her older brother's was. She signed up a two months and a day before the Reapers landed. Doing the exact opposite of what her brother wanted her to do. Run and hide. Well that wasn't in her. Sure, she never had an interest in the Alliance life like her brother had, preferring instead a much more simple life of raising a daughter and a career employed in Sirta Foundation.

That all changed when one day her father came home and declared that John was right. The Reapers were coming and he was going to get her and two year old Anastasia off Earth and hidden sleepy Noveria of all places. Which in hindsight was a genius move on his part. Noveria was one of the few places untouched by the Reapers. Most likely because it was a hive of Cerberus activity there.

She, however, stayed behind. She would fight for her family, she would fight for her daughter who did not deserve the unspeakable fate that had fallen on billions of her fellow citizens of the galaxy. Her father absolutely hated the idea; but there was not choice in the matter for him.

Her weapon of choice was not a rifle or a ship. It was her brain and her words. She joined Alliance InOp's. Serving as a guardian angel of sorts to the men and women on the front lines, providing data on the enemy, keeping them from running blind into the husks swarms, keeping them motivated and sane... In some way she became a mother to the men who listened to her nineteen hours a day, everyday.

They gave her her very own call sign: Snake Mother. Chosen by a servicewoman named Zao Chen. Supportive, affectionate but distant... and if anyone messed with the company she watched over like a mother over her child, there was instant and brutal retribution. Something the Men and Women of H company of the 186th Light Infantry Division witnessed when they were pinned down by Reapers. Somehow through sheer luck she managed to call in an airstrike that burned a city block filled with husks gearing up to roll right over them.

Her surname also brought a comfort to the men and women stuck in the mud and grime. Not giving a thought to censoring herself, she told them that her mother was building and defending the superweapon to stop the Reapers. She told them that her brother was off doing what he did best. Fuck a helluvalotta shit up and making impossible alliances to bring to Earth and break the Reaper's grip once and for all.

The superweapon, the Crucible may have never been delivered, but her brother made good on his promise. He brought everyone. Humans, asari, turians, salarians, the quarians and even their machines. He rained a hell so deadly on the Reaper invasion force that many had been destroyed, most of them fled.

The war wasn't over. Not by a long shot. John stood inf ront off the delegations of each species and told them flat out that this war was not one that would end in a compromise. It would be long, bloody and would end in one of two ways: Us or Them.

For once, the bureaucrats listened to what he said.

The war was terrible and heartbreaking to bear witness, but if there was one bright spot, it was the good that finally came back to him. Gone was arrogance of his youth, replacing it was a willingness to grow, learn, be tolerant and cooperate.

Most figured it was all the doing of years of working with non-humans. Sarah figured that was the case as well, until half a year ago when John showed up at home holding the the hand of a quarian called Tali'Zorah. It did not take long for her to realize that she was the primary reason for his change. She taught him how to be a good man, whether she knew it or not.

Suddenly a pair of Alliance fighters roared just over her, interrupting her musings on a future sister. Sarah blinked. What in the hell were they doing?

They seemed to be in trouble, one of them clearly trailing smoke, the other was unharmed. As they retreated past her; a sudden screech sent shivers down her spine. It was a sound she begged never to hear again. Sarah glanced out the sideway mirror. It was a Harvester, coming up at a fast pace. The long, lancer weapons took aim on her defenseless air car.

She dived, trying to evade. The Harvester followed, screaming that god awful scream. She gripped the controls as she tried to suppress the urge to scream.

The undamaged fighter broke rank from his wounded wingman and pulled back, He seemed to have noticed her. This was confirmed when the pilot fired three quick bursts, causing a even more horrifying scream from the husk as it was hit. It redirected it's fire and smashed through the fighter, catching the bird on fire.

The pilot ejected from his cockpit, leaving the aircar by itself once again. She watched as the weapons charged.

It was too late to flee.

Trembling, Sarah continued gripped the control, her thoughts falling onto a daughter she would never see grow up. though her life was over, She smiled slightly, fighting to hold back her tears as she accepted that this was her fate. Anna would be safe. She had a whole family that would protect better then she could alone.

She closed her eyes.

All Sarah could feel was the heat of the weapon hitting her and the deafening explosion that took her. Then ... Nothing.

**...**

* * *

**...**

Eric Shepard's eyes opened wide. A knock on the door woke him from his catnap. He tried to get up but some sort of weight was pinning his arm. He glanced the source of the weight. It was his granddaughter laying there in a deep sleep. He smiled slightly. How he managed to wear that girl out by playing hide and go seek tag was beyond him. It wasn't exactly difficult to out maneuver a cripple.

Giving the small child a peck on her head, he sat up and gently tugged his arm from out of Anna's grasp. She whimpered slightly in her sleep but she did not move.

Yet again the door was knocked on. Who the hell was it? He didn't recall asking for company. He looked around and found his cane missing... That little menace. She hid it, again!

Grumbling about a little cane stealing pest, He slowly, painfully maneuvered himself out of the living room and into the hallway leading to the front door. A loud knock came again.

"Alright, goddammit, hold your horses." He rumbled in the direction of the door. Obviously they hadn't heard because again the knock rung through the way. He paused took a breath and stared at his useless leg. Perhaps it was time to do something about it.

Pushing all the pain shooting through dead muscle and gritted as he hobbled faster until finally he grabbed a hold of the doorknob, tugging the handle wide open.

The sun shine blinded him for a brief second. As soon as his eyes adjusted he found himself staring at several at several tall, serious looking men. All dressed in formal Alliance uniforms. All of them were wearing identical frowns. Behind them was another soldier, different then the others. He was banged up pretty bad, his arm in a sling.

There was nothing but silence for a good minute as Eric's eyes slowly scanned each of the grim faces. As soon as he closed his eyes and willed himself not to break down. A rough voice called out.

"Commander-"

"_Eric_." He cut them off. His arms crossing. On the surface his mask field, but inwardly his stomach dropped his heart pounded.

He knew exactly what this was.

"There was an incident." The leader of them spoke to him, stepping forward. "On behalf of the chairman of Alliance Defense, Fleet Admiral Stephen Hackett, we would regretfully like to inform you that your daughter, Specialist Sarah Elizabeth Shepard was killed in transit to Alliance Sector 7 Overwatch. There are no words to express our sincerest sympathy."

His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. Breathing became difficult to manage. Sarah, his little girl was dead... and they were offering their sympathy.

_Fuck them..._

He didn't want their fucking sympathy. Sarah was dead. His little girl was taken from him. How his legs still supported him was behind his comprehension.

"How did she die." He finally whispered, not a question, but a demand, his breathing unsteady as he looked for an answer from each of the men in front of him. It was an answer he did not get.

He turned his eyes down to the military shuttle, where the wounded man stood. They locked eyes. The wounded man needed no prodding. He simply stepped forward and past the protesting looks giving by the desk jockeys.

"A Harvester, sir. It broke out of the Vancouver containment zone." He admitted, his voice hoarse. "We pursued but it was too fast... It encountered Specialist Shepard's aircar..."

The pilot paused.

"I tried... I really tried-"

"Is there anything left of my daughter to bury?" The father cut across, his eyes narrowing.

The pilot shook his head.

"No... I'm sorry, sir. "

Eric nodded blankly, his head hung low. He swallowed the knot in his throat back and refused to give into the tears, now brewing in his eyes. He turned away from the pilot and back to the others. The leader of the group gestured to the man next to him. He had a kind empathy filled smile. Eric silently glowered at him.

"This is Chaplain Hertzog; he wished to be her-"

"Forgive me for the heresy, but that's Hannah's garbage, not mine." Eric growled right back at them with as much menace as he could produce. "I don't need your _goddamn_ priest. I _need_ my daughter. Can you get me her instead?"

_Silence._

"I fucking thought so. Talk to Admiral Shepard if you need anything." He said, speaking to the ranking officer. "You'll have to excuse me... I've got to see to a granddaughter whose never going to see her mother against because you lot couldn't _fucking_ handle it."

Giving the fighter pilot a nod, Eric stepped back into the house and slammed the door behind him. He exhaled, his back against the door as he slowly slid down to the ground. He wanted to cry but really couldn't. In the other room he had a granddaughter still asleep in blissful ignorance. He was dreading this now. First a absent, then dead father... How in fuck was he going to tell that girl that her mother was gone as well?

He closed his eyes and exhaled. He would save his tears until after Anna knew.

**...**

* * *

**...**

"Ma'am, Command has approved maneuvering the fleet out of the Alliance space and rendezvous with the 71st turian fleet gathering over Palaven."

"How long before we can mobilize and move out?"

"Four days. If conditions are perfect, three."

Admiral Hannah Shepard took a long drag of her cigarette under the watchful stares of all of her subordinates. Slowly, she exhaled, her eyes closed briefly She nodded accepting the Captain's assessment. She leaned back into her seat, idly.

"Tell the turian Fleet Commander we'll meet him in four days." She finally ordered. "If we can push it to three, we'll tell them then. Any other business?"

Captain Mark Davison, Commanding Officer of the Orizaba stood up. Leaving the cigarette dangling from her lip, she looked up at the much too formal man.

"My engineers on the Orizaba has been requesting to spend a few days in drydock." Mark elaborated to his Admiral. "We have some serious electrical glitches in the control panels. They could affect performance if left alone. If the drydock makes it a top priority, I can see the issues taking no more than 36 hours to solve."

Hannah nodded.

"Approved, Captain." She agreed. She turned to the rest of the officers and added. "The Reapers need to be fought with our ships in the best condition possible. Otherwise we're going to be at a disadvantage. Do your best to mobilize but try even harder to make sure your ships is error free."

"_ATTENTION ON DECK!"_

The occupants of the room flew up out of their seats as Fleet Admiral Stephen Hackett stepped into the room. All except Hannah, who remained both seated and smoking.

"At ease." He ordered the room before turning to Hannah and added. "Admiral Shepard, I need to speak to you, It's best if you send your men on their duties."

Hannah nodded casually and turned back to the room in general.

"Alright, You heard the Fleet Admiral, Ladies and Gentlemen. You're all dismissed, file any reports to my attache. I'll get on them as soon as I have the time."

Receiving a round of salutes from the men and women, the two admirals watched silently as they filed out one by one. As the last man left, Hannah stood up and offered her superior officer a sharp salute and a friendly smile. A smile that usually was returned. Not this time however. Hackett looked as though he had been punched in the gut.

"Admiral Hackett, how can I help you?" Hannah questioned, still smiling for him.

Stephen's eyes glance up and met hers. Hannah's smile died. Hackett appeared almost misty eyes, like it was too hard to face her. She knew this look... she witnessed it five years ago after the Collectors shot down and killed John. Hannah's face hardened, a defense mechanism against the pain of public mourning was set up as her mind debated who had died.

"Something happened, Hannah. I think you should sit down." Hackett spoke, gesturing to the seat.

Hannah shook her head.

"No, I think you should just tell me." She managed to get out, her voice remaining in full control of her emotions.

**...**

* * *

**...**

"Can I freshen your drink?"

"Thank you, John. You know, you could make a good server. The pay will be good and tips even better if your wife lets you flirt with the customers. Shaking that ass of yours would make you a very wealthy man."

John could only smirk at the coy looking Marhna'Prince and Tali who blatantly seemed to agree with her sentiment..

Tonight was a small gathering. A small victory had occurred today. Marhna and David Prince were at long last approved to open their first club since the start of the war. The Prince Enterprise as it was apparently called was back up and running after a three year hiatus. The combined efforts of Cerberus and the Reapers had destroyed everything David and Marhna had been working on for decades. Leaving the couple near destitute.

The war had destroyed their lives. Taking credits, business, even their own children from them. Still they persisted. Damaged and changed people, yes, but they had their lives, two of their children survived and they had each other. It wasn't much, but it was something, and it was much more than what billions of others could say.

They seemed happily in love despite what had happened. The loss of a child, at Marhna'Prince's own hand no less, did not shatter the marriage like he had expected.

Marhna, Tali and Quawe'Queara -Marhna's sister, were speaking to one another in rapid bubbly Khellish. Leaving John playing host and making conversation with the other two members of this get together. David Prince, and currently speaking in a dangerous voice to one of her subordinates back on Omega, Aria T'Loak. Who was making the whole thing possible for the Prince's. Her blood money was being used to fund the venture on Rannoch. A payback for the Prince's sheltering her during the Cerberus forced exile off Omega.

"Idiots." She muttered as she closed her commlink connection and turned up to face John as he approached approached her. "Do you have any interest in coming back to Omega and breaking some heads on my behalf?"

Aria sighed and sat back down on a loveseat. She leaned back into it and and sighed lazily.

"I'm still surprised to find you living here, and being comfortable with this... _quiet_. I suppose your little quarian has tamed you..."

Aria and John's eyes fell to the purple suited quarian. Who was still in deep conversation with Marhna and her younger sister. Quawe, who had been occasionally shooting looks John's way. John groaned every time that she did so. He still had a date he owed her for saving his father's life. Apparently Tali had been pretty vague about the terms of the date. Jesus, for all he knew that girl was going to screw his brains out.

Tali would look too, her body language screaming amusement at the situation she put her fiancee into.

"If it makes you feel any better, there's a pistol under the loveseat." Shepard informed her as he refilled her glass of asari brandy. "Every room in the house contains at least one weapon. Made all sorts of enemies over the years. It's unlikely the Reapers wiped them all out for me."

Aria, smirked into her glass.

"If there is one good thing that came out of the Reaper invasion. It was what they did to Thessia." She spoke up, whirling her glass idly. "Most of my political enemies were wiped out in a matter of hours. I really should send the machines a thank you card. They did what I could only dream."

Standing at the liquor cabinet, David downed his drink in one. He did not look impressed by the banter.

"You two are grim as fuck, you know? Are you sure there is no family ties?" He asked, earning a gentle laugh from the asari.

John laughed as well. He glanced over and noticed that the quarian women were looking at him and whispering away in a language John had been struggling to learn since the crash on Gel Hinnom. John smirked at Tali and nodded as though they had locked eyes for the first time and he was hitting on her. Tali rolled her eyes and turned back to Marhna, who by being suitless, showed just how amused the women appeared to be at his expense.

The Omni-Tool on his arm flashed to life. It was a message from his mother of all people. Wasn't she suppose to gearing up for a tour with the turians?

"I'll be right back." He said, standing up. "Help yourself."

Snorting a line off the cabinet, David looked up with a blank look as Shepard patted his back. He nodded lifelessly before he stumbled over to the couch that held the three quarians. Without any warning, he lifted Marhna up and sat where she was, placing the unnaturally thin quarian on his lap his hands wrapped around her waist.

"I know you ladies have been giggling about me..." He mumbled lamely, resting his back into the couch and pulling his glasses off his head. Marhna rolled her eyes.

"We were giggling about how stupidly scrawny you look compared to John."

"Least I'm not anorexic." He mumbled. "When was the last time you ate? A month ago? You're just bones."

Tali's eyes went wide. Marhna, however, simply stared at him with those cold menacing eyes. She pushed her braids away and turned away. Her attention officially off the human. David lowered his head, looking slightly ashamed at his observation, no matter how correct he may have been in Tali own opinion.

Aria T'loak, stood up and wandered to the quarians and human, her eyes focused on nobody but Tali. Tali flinched under the stare. Aria T'loak was the last person she wanted in her home. She was, however, a guest of John's.

"So... Tell me, Zorah." Aria spoke, addressing Tali for the first time since they met four years prior. "How do sleep at night, knowing you tamed and caged quite possibly the most skilled killer the galaxy has ever seen? A lot of people such as myself would kill to have him under their control."

Tali glanced at Marhna, who seemed almost amused by the observation.

"He's done answering to anyone other than the Council, and they answer to him most of the time." She retorted. "As for sleeping... well I sleep quite well knowing the likes of you will never corrupt him again."

David winced as Aria scowled in Tali's direction.

Before the debate over Shepard's loyalties could be raged. Quawe turned away.

"_Shepard?"_ She spoke up, her head tilted as she stared at the exit to the kitchen. Tali turned as well, shocked at the sight.

John had reappeared from out of the kitchen, he walked as though he was a zombie from the human horror films. Quietly he wandered back to a seat and slumped into it. Tali watched him the whole way. He appeared, dazed... almost lost in his own home. In his hand a bottle of strong looking alcoholic and a glass. Silently, he poured himself a drink. His hand shaking as the amber liquid sloshed in both the glass and bottle.

The hand holding the glass weakened and allowed it to fall onto the hardwood floor with a dull thud. Whiskey staining the wood. Tali flew up.

"John!" She called, but he did not hear. Instead he looked at the bottle and took a deep swig of it, before setting it o the floor net to the glass, albeit, much more careful.

Tali stepped uncertainly to his side as he simply stared off. H e did not react when her hand fell onto his shoulder. Around the couple, Marhna, David and Quawe were sharing looks as they too silently wondered what in the hell was wrong with him. Aria, on the other hand, remained uninterested in what was wrong.

"John... John are you alright?" Tali asked, her hands gently shaking him back and forth to get her man out of his thoughts and back into the real world.

John looked up to her ashen-faced. His mouth open as though he had just received a shock.

"That was Mom, Tali." He whispered lowly. "She was beside herself... I don't think I've heard her cry... _ever_."

He turned away from Tali, his eyes staring off.

"Sarah's dead." He suddenly whispered.

The room was quiet. All of them heard his whisper. But it was only Tali knew that John's little sister was gone. He did not cry, he simply sat there, stunned that she had been so suddenly taken away from them. Sarah, who not a few weeks ago was helping her with the wedding, battling John's ex's and had come to genuinely like...

Tali gasped softly.

_Anna... no..._

Tali pulled John from out of his seat and wrapped her arms around him, clutching onto him tight as tears shimmered out of her eyes. She was not crying just for herself, but for John as others glanced at each other. They had no words to offer. Instead they quietly filed out, leaving two suddenly grieving men and women to themselves.

Tali reached up, her hand detaching her mask.

"I-I never showed her my face... Keelah, she was to be my family and I had never even shown her m-my face." Tali whispered, burying her head into John's chest, her voice sobbing with regret. "I did not even flash on the helmet lights for her... And _Anna_...Your father... How will he tell her? How can he?"

John didn't reply.

**...**

* * *

**...**

"Grampa coome onn, look at this!"

Little hands gripped his as they pulled him along through the woods he had been standing at the edge of. Anna loved to explore everywhere and anything. It was easily one of her most endearing traits.

As for Eric, He didn't have the heart to tell her just yet. Oh yes... he had tried tell and failed once the Alliance men left. Those big dark eyes and that small, sweet voice asking why he looked so sad... Jesus, what was he going to do? How was he going to tell her that her mother, his daughter was dead?

In the end, he had to do it, no matter how sick it made him feel.

The smile on Anna's face was much to painful to look at it. Instead Eric ducked his head down as he took a seat in the wet forest floor next to his blissfully ignorant granddaughter. She got onto her knees with a "oof", her hand pointing at a log that was in a state of decay. On it, rested a small red reptilian creature. Despite his mood being so horrible, he managed to choke out a slight laugh at the girls innocent curiosity.

"That's a salamander, Anna..." Eric spoke to his granddaughter. "I... I haven't seen one in years..."

They sat there quietly as they watched the small salamander sunbath in a sunbeam breaking through the canopy of trees high above the two of them. Anna pulled back and sat down next to Eric, slightly leaning her small form against him like a pillow.

"Do they change colours, Grampa?" She whispered, sounding almost frightened to disturb its rest.

Eric shook his head. Glancing to his almost shy granddaughter, he leaned in and tenderly wrapped his hands around the creature. Anna's eyes bugged out as she watched what had happened. Before she knew it, the docile lizard was resting in the palm of his hand, right in front of her.

"No... that's a Chameleon." Eric corrected. "This is just a normal lizard..."

With his free hand, he grabbed Anna's and gently pushed the hand flat. He smiled slightly as the girl squealed in a mix of shock, disgust and excitement as he carefully placed the lizard into her palm.

"Be gentle." He soothingly warned her. "You know, if it has an accident and loses its tail, a salamander is quite capable of growing it back?"

Anna's bug eyes turned to stare at him widely. She clearly didn't believe him for a moment.

"Noooo way, Grampa."

Smiling painfully and fighting back the mist in eyes at the sight of the scandalized girl, Eric allowed Anna hold the lizard for a few more minutes before he took it away and placed it back where it came from. It scurried off, leaving Anna disappointed. Eric wrapped his arm around the child. It was time to grow a pair and tell her.

"Anna..." He slowly spoke up "Do you remember when your mom and I had a talk about your father... How he wouldn't be visiting anymore?"

Anna's lips pouted slightly and nodded. She hadn't had more than half a dozen visits with Anton Osika. She had no recent memories. Nor would she ever meet him again. He went back to his native Ukraine after Sarah ended it with him. He died during the during the Reaper siege of Kiev. The way he treated Sarah left Eric with no tears to shed for him.

His throat was dry as he tried to continue.

"Do you remember when your mom told you if something like that happened to her... that she would always love you." He continued, breathless as the girl looked at him quizzically. He exhaled and added... "Even if you don't ever see her again?"

Anna nodded. Eric, who was fighting back his own tears leaned over and pulled the small girl into his lap.

"Listen, baby girl... there was an accident. Mom is... She died."

He could not find easier way to express it, even if he could sweeten the death of her mother. It took mere seconds for the child to comprehend exactly what death meant. Before the tears could roll down her cheek, Eric pulled the girl into a careful hug. His grief was inaudible as the small girl howled in agony in his arms.

The child did not feel the tears falling onto her hair as she sobbed and hit his chest, begging for this nightmare to be just that, a nightmare. Eric could say nothing Even in mourning, he had to remain strong for the now parentless girl.

Parentless, yes, but not alone.

**...**

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**...**

**Somewhat short and kinda jumpy, but a set up chapter is necessary. The next two chapters will 7-9 thousand words each. In it will feature several OC's set up in the previous fic in the series. I highly suggest you read them all (With Exception to Francis Kitt) if you haven't already.**

**I feel a little bad for killing off Sarah Shepard... but she had to die. She will be better fleshed when I write further into the series. **

**Yet again, I hope you enjoyed!**


	2. The Wake

**Another chapter! Took a little longer than I planned. Then again, the chapter is longer then I intended. **

**On with the story!**

**...**

* * *

**...**

**Chapter Two: The Wake**

"_How is John?"_

The question first posed by Auntie Raan two days ago when she first heard of the loss both Tali and him had suffered was a good one. Tali wished she could answer it with any semblances of the truth. What she could see was that John hadn't spoken of it since he admitted to Sarah Shepard's death. He arranged the travel and even invited Shala along, a friend for his father. Something that was apparently rare for him to have.

Other than the death, he seemed completely neutral to what had happened. But that was, in all likelihood, a feint. He did not want to look weak. Something Tali decided was stupid bravado that made her so mad to witness. She thought John better than that. He was upset when so many of his comrade in arms died. From Kaidan to Doctor Solus, to even the drell he picked up. The assassin.

Tali shed no tears for Thane Krios. Assassins and Mercenaries did not earn her sympathy... With an exception to that krogan bosh'tet, Urdot Wrex. But he was a leader now, having renounced his old career.

As they approached the house, John paused, forcing the Tali and Shala to pause. There were people outside the Shepard house. Alliance solders and civilians alike.

The first and foremost was Fleet Admiral Stephen Hackett, who turned to face the former Alliance Commander.

"Shepard... John." Hackett spoke up, offering his hand to the younger man. "I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances."

John nodded blankly, shook and released his hand.

"I see _mother_ invited half the Alliance here."

Hackett gripped the man's arm like he was still a young boy.

"Men and women who your sister saved during her service," Hackett explained on behalf of his fellow admiral. "They felt they needed to honor her."

Eric stared at his second mentor and nodded finally, If he was uncomfortable being around the Alliance, then he wasn't about to show it. The men and women who knew or was saved by his sister all looked up at him as though he was still in the marines, still leading them into a fight.

"Thank you all for coming, all of you." John spoke finally, his voice too horse to be a commanding presence. "I.. I think this would mean a lot to her. There'll never be another Sarah... at least not to me."

It was an awkward half speech, but all of the men and women, seemed to agree with he sentiment. Sarah was another individual lost to a war where their enemy hated that individuality. Nodding to the sympathetic Fleet Admiral, he and the quarians behind him pushed through the crowd.

"Hey, kid." A voice of a woman called out to John making him stop yet again. Tali looked and noticed a medium sized, dark skinned human woman stepping towards him, her arms outstretched.

John bent down and allowed the older Hindi woman to wrap her arms right around him and showered him with several kisses on his cheek. Tali looked away, fighting the urge to say something. John pulled away, seemingly noticing Tali's discomfort.

"Ash." He greeted the older former lieutenant. "Have you seen dad yet?"

"He's with his granddaughter." She supplied mournfully, her head shaking. "That poor thing is far too frightened to be out of his company for too long."

Tali winced at the information, That poor girl... She could understand where she was coming from. She may have lost her mother at an older age, but age didn't factor when it came to grief over a lost loved one.

John nodded and gestured to Tali and Shala'Raan.

"This is my wife.." He introduced. He paused, shot Tali a slight smile and added. "Well, almost... Tali'Zorah and this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Rannoch... Shala, Tali. This is dad's old Lieutenant, Aashritha Latesh. Ash saved Dad's life on Mindoir."

Ash bowed her head politely to the quarians.

"Please.. Disregard John here, I'm _hardly_ old." Latesh corrected before looking to Tali and taking her hands without any warning. "Tali'Zorah, there hasn't been a single word other than praise uttered by Eric and Hannah. They love you like flesh and blood... They are your family now."

She let go of Tali's hands, her attention focusing unnaturally hard on the older quarian, Shala.

"Shala'Raan," Ash breathed. "Oh... he's told me all about _you_, ma'am. Rare to find someone who actually tolerates him."

With a strange smile, she pressed her lips against John's cheek yet again and left them. Without so much as an explanation about the behavior John started heading into the house, leading the quarians again.

"Shepard..." A flangling voice called out before they could press on.

Approaching them was two turians. A woman and man that Tali almost always dreaded seeing. She would not start a fight... not here. He was, unfortunately, her husband's best friend... husband... she liked the sound of that word.

"Shepard, Tali... I'm sorry that I have to be here." Garrus spoke up, his eyes narrowed into a concerned look.

Before the turian knew it, John wrapped his arms around his friend, surprising the usually unaffectionate turian with a strong hug. They stood there, confusing both quarian and the turian woman standing next to Garrus. Garrus pulled back and let go.

"Garrus, Sorry... I know the human stink bothers you." John mumbled more to himself than to the turian. "I'm glad you made it."

"It's fine and you know I would be here." Garrus allowed, he gestured to the woman next to him. "This is Solana, My sister. She wanted to be here."

Solana bowed her head, ignoring the disbelieving stare made by the quarian next to Shepard. Garrus brought his sister? Regardless, Solana held her talon out to John, who shook it without a second thought given.

"It's an honor to meet the only man who believed in my brother." Solana spoke. Her flangling voice much softer than Tali had imagined. "Your sister saved my life, I landed on Earth during the offensive. Lost my team. Your sister kept me moving back to our lines."

John, for the first time since he learned of his sisters passing, smiled slightly. Tali stepped forward, her hands wrapping around her fiance's hand and arm. John needed to have some alone time with a friend.

"John? Shala and I are going to see to Hannah. _Okay_?" She whispered slightly, receiving a nod and a kiss on her hood, She looked over to the turians and added. "Nice to meet you, Solana Vakarian... Garrus."

She let of of John and stepped away with Shala next to her. Leaving Garrus watching her depart briskly. He huffed.

"She doesn't like me, does she?"

John cocked his eyebrow.

"It took you _six_ years to realize that, Garrus?" Shepard spoke to him incredulously. "Tali knows how to hold a grudge. It's a talent of hers. What did you expect after holding her responsible for the geth?"

Solana reared around and turned to glare at her brother. Though Garrus was a Spectre, a good two heads taller than her and several years older, she was clearly in charge of him. She appeared offended by the suggestion he had made all those years ago.

"I tried to apologize." He hastily spoke to her, hoping to rear off the reaction.

Solana Vakarian rolled her beady eyes.

"Trying isn't _good_ enough." Solana chastised Garrus. "Let me guess, then you would tease her?" She groaned as her brother nodded, guilty of the crime. She looked to John and added."She'll have to forgive my brother. Sometimes he lacks any sense. I suppose you're also the only reason he's still alive."

John nodded, trying not to look amused.

"I'll say... come, I'll get you two a drink." He spoke, gesturing to his parents home. "I need one if I'm ever going to be able to face Anna..."

**...**

* * *

**...**

Tali felt somewhat guilty for leaving her fiance's side... but she did have duties, not just to him, but to his whole family... Her new family. When John said that he got a message from his mother about it, he mentioned that he had never seen or heard his mother cry before. Well... if Hannah was devastated, then she would be there for the admiral. As Hannah would be there for her, if ancestors forbid, she too lost a child.

Since admitting to John that she was getting ready for potential motherhood, she had found the concept of losing a child, even an imaginary one as a concept difficult to digest. She had heard about what Marhna'Prince had to do to her own daughter, Laura, after she was indoctrinated by the Reapers. She did not think she would have the strength to carry on... of course she would not know unless that actually happened.

Tali pushed those thoughts out of her head just like she was pushing herself through the guests of the wake, She and Shala stepped into the kitchen, past a group of women, all staring at them like they were diseased. Tali could ignore it... for now.

There she stood. Admiral Hannah Shepard, clad in a traditional human mourning attire, the only colour acceptable (as far as she knew) at human memorial Wake's and funerals -black. She was working steadily a platter of what looked like food for humans.

"_Hannah?_" Tali called out slowly, her voice almost quavering at the fear of disturbing her.

Hannah looked up, a strange, unnaturally wide and dazzling smile on her face as she saw the two quarians approach her cautiously.

"Oh... Tali!" She almost exclaimed. "I'm so sorry I did not greet you sooner, just getting all this ready to be served."

She gestured to the variety of human and turian snacks placed on fine silver. Tali and Shala shared a look. Something was clearly wrong with this picture. No mother smiled for their child's funeral. Tali stepped past the Shala, her hand reaching out to hold Hannah's, who squeezed it.

"Hannah..." Tali started yet again, almost worried about offending her mother-in-law. "Please don't lie to me... are you alright?"

Hannah smiled and shook her head, her head slightly bowed.

"No. Tali dear... I feel like shit." She admitted in a cheerful demeanor. "My daughter is _dead_. She's not going to get a Cerberus miracle resurrection, like John did. She's nothing but bones and ash, mixed in with shards of metal and eezo now, scattered across British Columbia and Washington. Sarah is dead and gone and I'm sure as _hell_ never going to see her again."

Tali blinked. The picture painted was horrifying. Hannah, on the other hand, seemed unfazed.

"My smile and sunny demeanor is presented to you by Eric's wonderful selection of mood-stabilizers and anti-depressants." Hannah pressed on, smiling charmingly. "I'll be a sobbing heap once everyone clears the fuck out of my home. Then Tali, I'm going to sob and cry and ruin that environmental suit of yours."

Hannah paused and exhaled slowly.

"Now...Are either of you hungry?" She changed subjects." I can liquidize something dextro and sterilize it. No trouble. You must be hungry from the trip!"

Shala shook her head, her hand grabbing Tali's arm before she could say something that could potentially ruin the relationship Tali and Hannah had built Turned away to face her adopted Aunt, she watched Shala disable her translator and lean in.

"_Don't judge her grief so quick... Give her time."_

Tali, glanced back to Hannah, who was watching them very carefully. She nodded, she would heed Shala's good advice. Tali would not press for Hannah's breakdown. Shala turned her translator and let go of Tali, stepping closer to the human.

"No thank you, Admiral Shepard..." Shala spoke with her soothing diplomatic tone, usually reserved for the other admirals. "If you require some help with serving. I'll be happy to help you."

Hannah careful look broke back into a smile. Tali could not help but notice just how glazed Hannah's eyes were. A sign that she was indeed under heavy narcotic influence.

"Thank you, Shala'Raan, but I'll be just fine." She assured the quarian admiral kindly. "I'm happy that you accepted the invitation. Eric doesn't have many friends to help him along... other than _Latesh_."

She leaned in and added. "If you can keep that blood sucking, jealous, little bitch out of Eric's hair, then you and I are going to be the best of friends."

Shala blinked, but nodded nonetheless at the task given to her. Hannah smiled again, patting Shala's arm, over joyed that the woman would do that for her. Tali cleared her throat.

"Hannah, do you think I could... you know... check on Eric and Anna?"

Hannah nodded as she went back to perfecting the tray.

"Oh please do, sweetheart... Eric has told me Anna hasn't ate since she heard the news." Hannah agreed. "Eric's been trying but it doesn't help that he's no more stable than she is... They're in Sarah' room. Second floor forth room to the left."

Tali, now tasked with helping Anna, nodded solemnly. She turned to leave, but was stopped by Hannah's hand grabbing her bicep. She turned around and found that Hannah had wrapped the quarian daughter-in-law into a tight hug.

"Thank you for coming, Tali." Hannah whispered into her shoulder. Much more subdued than before. "You have no idea how much it means for me that you're here... You're family now.. There isn't much family left... but I'm so glad you're apart of it."

Tali did her best to blink the tears away.

**...**

* * *

**...**

The Shepard family was in a clear nosedive. It was going to be a long time before life stabilized again. Between John's numb denial to admit that he was upset to Hannah's reliance on prescription medications to suppress the sensation of guilt. She could only imagine how her father-in-law was taking this.

Eric, wasn't a particularly stable man, His past had caught up to him on Rannoch. In a drug haze, he actually attacked John for killing a batarian who would most certainly have killed him. John imagined Eric to be easily the most upset in the family over this. Sarah was his everything.

John was important too, but John had followed his mother's footsteps much more than in Eric's. John confessed that his father may have inspired his Marine enlistment, but his breakdown and subsequent jailtime altered their relationship from inspirational father figure to an embarrassment. That feeling of embarrassment may have grown into a respect between the two men, but it definitely left a scar.

Tali reached the door to Sarah's room and leaned slightly nothing, she formed a fist and knocked gently on the door

"_Eric?_ It's Tali, Can you ask if Anna will let me in?" She politely requested.

Silence was the answer at first. Finally a rough sounding "_Come in._" was replied.

Frowning slightly, Tali opened the door and stepped inside. The room was darkened, only a trickling of sunlight broke through the pulled blinds. Just enough to see the heart breaking sight. There, laying with her arms wrapped tightly around her grandfather, her head buried into his chest was Anna.

Eric looked up to Tali, his expression twisted into grief that looked unbreakable. Kissing the girl's cheek, Eric gently broke the vice, causing the small girl to whimper as they broke apart. He stood up and took an unsteady step towards Tali, his arms outstretched.

Tali took him, pulling the older man into a careful hug.

"I'm so sorry, Eric... I wish I could say more... " She whispered as her hand wrapped around the back of Eric's head, pushing deep into hair and touching scalp.

"This is so messed up, Tali..." He mumbled, almost inaudible to the woman. "I don't want to believe it."

Wiping his eyes, Eric pulled back from out of her reach. Tali's eyes fell on the small looking Anna, now shuffling alone in the big bed that was once her mothers. She turned to Eric, who was watching over his granddaughter like had he moved his eyes, she, like her mother, would be lost forever.

"I'll stay with her, Eric." Tali assured the grandfather, her hand still rubbing his spine. "Perhaps I can coax her out of this room."

Eric's eyes turned to her, as though he was making sure she was capable of such a task. Slowly, he nodded, unconvinced but willing to give her a shot. He stepped away towards the bed and leaned in. His lips touching his granddaughters head. With a few whispers to the child, the man stepped back and limped out of the room, closing the door behind the quarian and the human child.

Silence was shared between the girl and the woman. Tali ducked her head as she searched for something, anything to break the silence without sounding crass. Finally, as she watched little Anastasia roll over to turn away from the quarian. Tali took a seat at the edge of Sarah's bed. Her hands reached up and carefully unfastened her mother's hood and folded it.

"Time to get out of this stupid helmet." She spoke aloud as her fingers worked at unhinging her mask first, pulling it off before getting the rest of the helmet off.

Though the girl was clearly still broken from the grief, she did have a spark of curiosity. She, like her mother, had never gotten to see what her quarian aunt looked like behind the plate glass and suit. She turned back and stared up at the quarian hitting at the edge of the bed, her gentle slightly glowing eyes returning the stare. Tali shuffled a little closer.

"You don't mind if I crawl in with you. It's been a long journey and I'm rather exhausted." Tali requested, smiling gently for the girl to see.

Anna nodded, so Tali slid even closer, planting her head on the pillow, facing Anna. She pulled the covers over the both of them and they laid there. Tali wasn't quite sure what did it. The smile or Tali's long thick finger gently grazing through the child's hair.

Anna burst into tears.

With gentle soothing and her hand rubbing into back of the child's neck, Tali, pulled the girl into her and eventually managed to bring the sobbing down to a controlled state, enough to allow the small child to lose all her shyness and bury her face into Tali's chest. They laid like this many minutes. Tali listening to the gently cries with an aching heart as she whispered sweet affectionate words in her native language, Khellish.

"W-why did she have to die, Tali?" She mumbled into Tali's chest, she pulled back from Tali, Her eyes wide and red, demanding an answer that she had clearly not received yet.

Tali reached up, stroking the child's cheek as she mentally debated what she could tell the grieving child without disturbing her. Then... she remembered old words, spoken so long ago.

"We... we don't have a say when it's our time to leave those we love, _Has'tula_." Tali whispered finally, pressing her forehead to her niece's. "Sometimes it just happens and we must carry on, no matter how hard it may be. We carry on for the ones we lost. I know and you know that your mother would want only the most happiest of moments to be remembered. Not the hours of her loss, but the lifetime of love she gave you."

These words weren't hers. They were, in actuality, her Auntie Raan's when Tali was devastated by death twice in her life. Her mother and John... albeit, minus the love part for John. Shala did not understand the full effect John's spacing had on her...

The words, regardless of their origins, appeared to work. Although the small girls amber eyes had yet again misted over, she nodded, accepting the answer... still the words felt hollow to Tali.

"You know... I lost my mother when I was still a girl." Tali admitted gently to the child resting in her arms. "When she died... I was older than you... but it still hurt so much... Like your heart being torn out, yet you live on..."

Tali smiled sadly as the girl seemed to gasp at the revelation. Still her gloved hand touched against skin so soft she did thin it was possible.

"You only ever have one mother, who births you, who nurtures and protects you." Tali continued. "It's so hard to imagine a life without her in it, smiling at your successes, those words of encouragement... Never being able to watch you grow up.. to see you fall in love one day. "

Tali trailed off, pushing her dark hair back out of her eyes. Smiling as the girl reached up to touch her braidlike hair, Tali reached up and took the hand.

"But I promise you, Anna, you're not alone." She reassured the girl, her hands squeezing the child's carefully. "You have your grandparents, you have Uncle John and I and you will have people entering your life as you grow up, helping you along."

Anna nodded slightly.

"Was uncle John there for you?"

Tali paused and found herself wishing that a 20 year old John Shepard had been the one holding her while she cried over the loss of her mother. Still, he was there for her when her father died. Keellah, John helped reconciling her with Rael eventually. Though was still a source of bitterness.

"With my father, yes he was there." Tali returned. "He helped me so much handle my loss."

Anna frowned, appearing somewhat confused and slightly jealous almost.

"Why isn't he here?" She wondered aloud. Tali leaned in, her thin lips touching the girls cheek.

"Uncle John's got to be strong for everyone waiting outside this room." She explained to her upset niece. "They all came to pay respects to your mother. He has to see to them. He'll be with you soon. I promise."

The girl pouted at the statement, finally she nodded.

"Okay..." She accepted. "Can you stay in here?"

Tali stared into the child's bloodshot eyes.

"So long as we leave this room." She finally spoke, asking for a compromise from the child. "Many want to see you, your grandmother included."

Anna debated the compromise briefly.

"Okay... but you can't wear your mask."

Tali blinked thought about it. She really didn't want to do that, Her immune system was strong, but she wasn't sure it was strong enough to handle that many people, potentially still contaminated with whatever germs still on them if the sterilizers Eric and Shala had installed didn't work to their fullest.

Another issue that made Tali uncomfortable was showing herself off at a Wake of all places. Yes, it was to be expected at the marriage coming up, but this just felt like... showboating. Bringing her undue attention, simply for being an unmasked quarian. It may have seemed like arrogance to some, but Tali just knew she would be a curiosity for the others.

Tali sighed as she looked into Anastasia Shepard's big amber eyes that pleaded her to accept the suggestion. Finally, she nodded. Yes... she would expose herself, no matter the sickness or attention. Anna needed her to be there. Without a suit hiding her aunt.

**...**

* * *

**...**

For once, Shala'Raan was glad she wore her helmet.

She watched silently as mourner in black attire spoke to Hannah, clutching to Eric Shepard as though he were simple decoration. Intoxicated off of his medications or not, Hannah should have noticed how distraught Eric looked. How could she so easily focus her attention on others when her own husband, her family was looking close to a collapse.

"It doesn't take much effort to know why you're here, staring."

Shala turned to the source. It was the woman, John had briefly conversed with. Eric's former Lieutenant, Latesh. A smile on her soft brown face and a bottle of strong looking clear liquid. The woman who Hannah had told her to watch out for, to keep away from her husband.

"Hannah requested that I make every effort, keeping you far out of Eric's reach." She whispered to a woman.

All the woman could do was laugh.

"With all respect to Sarah, Hannah is a woman who doesn't know how good she has it.. old money you see. " She explained, noticing Shala's confusion. "Tend to forget just how quick life can change if they don't appreciate what they have."

Latesh shook her head.

"Hannah decided to join the Alliance to piss Daddy off... decided to get knocked up by a younger man to piss her Daddy off." She listed off, her eyes wandering back to the married couple. "Colonist trash, her parents called him, he was born on Luna, if I can remember correctly. Surprised them eventually when they found out his family had money somewhere down the line... this old house for example."

Eric was a poor colonist? She had always assumed him born and raised here in his family home. So strange how wrong appearance could be. Shala must have been staring at her as she thought about this new knowledge because Latesh was looking strangely at her.

"Relax, Admiral." She spoke reassuringly. Eric and I... we're friends..." She paused, a flash of hurt crossing her expression. "I know that now. Thought it could be different when I was a younger woman. It hurt so much... seeing him with a woman that he loved, but she didn't back..."

She paused and looked up at Shala with a smile filled with regret.

"I'm at peace with the friendzone, because he finally found you." She pressed on, her hand touching Shala's arm. "A woman he's genuinely deserves. A woman who seems to give a damn about him."

She pulled back and took a drink from the bottle. She inhaled and exhaled as the bottle fell from her lips.

"So I'm going to do you a huge favor, a gift because I think you can help him in ways I could never do." Latesh spoke, again clapping Shala's arm. "I'm going to drink this bottle here," She gestured to the bottle. "And wander over to Hannah over there and start a big argument with her."

She paused, holding a finger up as she took a long drink from bottle, leaving Shala speechless at the audacious woman. In one swig, she managed to finish a quarter of the bottle without wincing. She turned back to Shala, a mild grin for the quarian

"An argument so big that dutiful Eric will want to flee... giving you just enough time to grab him and take him somewhere a bit more private." She finished, blinking and swaying slightly.

Shala blinked... Latesh was going to divert Hannah's attention for her? It wasn't a very respect thing to do at a funeral wake... but neither was paying no mind to a husband she clearly held no love for...

"Why would you do this?" Shala demanded to know in a whisper.

Latesh's crooked smile returned.

"Because Eric has been suffering alone for all these years and he needs you. I don't give a shit if it's a wake, Hannah Shepard is a grade A bitchwhore." She listed off, rolling her eyes as she added. "Pick your reason, they're all acceptable ones."

Taking another drink from the bottle until the contents were dried out, she set the bottle down on the closest table, turned back Shala, now properly staggering in place.

"H-Have fun you two..." She slurred, running her free hands through her hair and then pushing her breast up, revealing more cleavage from her black dress.

As the woman unsteadily wandered away, Shala wondered quietly if what she was doing was right. Letting this woman start a fight for her. Shala's rational mind told her that this was so wrong in so many ways, to cause more trouble for a woman in the grief process...

Still... if it meant finally getting a chance to have a few hours tending to Eric and his grief that had been unattended to...

"Lieutenant Latesh?"

The woman paused and turned back to face the quarian. Shala nodded her head respectfully. Paying tribute to a woman whom she owed quite a bit to.

"Thank you for saving his life." She whispered. It was the truth, she did feel a genuine debt for her dead long before either her or Eric met.

Latesh laughed humorlessly.

"Never once did Hannah say that to me... Thank you." She pointed out. With a smile, she added. "I think I'm going to like you."

With that said, Latesh turned away and headed to face a grieving mother. What she was doing wasn't classy, but then again no one ever accused her of being just that.

**...**

* * *

**...**

"You have far too much intoxicants in you Shepard, could you please at least eat something? I brought this sandwich for you. It's a...it's a... Avian sandwich."

Shepard looked up from his glass of whiskey and found a plate with a sandwich on it being held by a soft, delicate blue hand. Idly, John picked through it as though it could have been poisoned. Satisfied it was safe, he took it an bit into in hungrily.

"It's turkey, Liara." He told the still standing asari. "Using the word Avian scares the shit out of Garrus."

He gestured to Garrus who was sitting on the far side of the couch, a look of awful disgust.

Liara T'Soni smiled slightly. John was happy she was here, sitting next to him. Late, but here. Though they had a serious falling, after the Reaper Invasion, Liara T'Soni had been one of the few people in the galaxy that kept him from going off the deep end. She was a good friend... perhaps even his best friend., excluding Tali and Garrus of course.

She was special to him, in a different way that Tali nor Garrus could provide for him. She had the gift of patience, a willingness to give all sides a fair chance. They could do things like talk peace with the geth or saving Cerberus personnel, without the debate getting heated. Most importantly, she had been in his mind. She knew the nightmares that plague him for years. Nightmares he could tell to Tali but never be able to describe, no matter how much he wanted to.

"I still can't believe you eat birds." The turian Spectre grumbled, wincing in disgust.

Shepard took another bite.

"Touching a nerve?"

John glanced up from Garrus' revulsion and saw Aashritha Latesh staggering over to his mother and father. Mom was in the middle of conversation with a woman. Dad was next to her, silent. Before Dad could reach, Latesh's lips were touching his and Mom's conversation abruptly ended as she turned on Dad's old lieutenant.

The woman, who had been holding his mother's hands moments earlier, turned back, her head wrapped in a long black headscarf was none other than her. Freyja Metzger, her dark eyes burning into him.

Tali had been right, she looked like death personified. All of her curves he explored as a younger man were gone. She was almost skeletal as she slowly swayed through the crowd towards him.

"_Oh..._ _fuck_." He whispered aloud.

Garrus and Liara looked up from their plates as they noticed the short woman gliding towards their couch. John turned to the briefly and noticed a thin frown on Liara's lips. As though she knew who this woman was. Inwardly, he groaned. She was the shadow broker, of course she knew.

Not just the Shadow Broker... but his ex as well. The ex whom he left Freyja for.

"Oh fuuuck..." He repeated in a groan now.

Liara seemed to understand his predicament. Enough so that she actually laughed at him.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" John called out to as the former fiancee stopped in front of the group.

Freyja Metzger stopped in front of him. Making a point to ignore the stares the non-humans were giving her.

"Your mother invited me." Freyja finally spoke in that charming condescending tone she mastered. "Sarah was a good friend to me. I'm sorry that she's gone."

Garrus looked between the two tense humans.

"Who is this?"

"This is Freyja Metzger." Shepard introduced to Garrus. "Somehow I doubt Sarah's at the top of her priorities. She figures I'm going to leave Tali for her."

The turian's mandibles opened up. Amused that Shepard was caught in yet another odd triangle

"How dare you, you egomaniacal, twat." Freyja almost growled at John. "Sarah was a friend. I could not care less that you've decided to shack up with a suitrat. If that is how you swing, so be it."

Shepard crossed his arms and stared blankly at the woman.

"Yet you started a huge fight with Tali over a relationship that hasn't existed for almost a decade, nor should not have existed in the first place." John retorted, ignoring the darkening stare of the woman. "Winning me over by calling her an incestuous, suitrat stray isn't going to help you."

Before Freyja could counter, Shepard held up his hand. Now was not the time for a fight with an ex.

"Freyja, I moved on long before Tali made her feelings known." Shepard simply stated, trying to end the conversation. "Liara here can attest to that."

What little colour in Freyja drained as John gestured to the asari sitting next to, Liara smirked slightly and ducked her head, clearly attempting to not look too pleased with the fact that Shepard broke his xenophobic streak through her combined efforts of kind words, meldings and sex.

"I can give you perfect details if you like." She finally said, looking up and meeting Freyja's stare. "He was _quite impressive..._" Liara paused and coughed, glancing to John before adding. "Not that Tali and I have been comparing notes on you..."

John did his best not to groan, but he had to admit, that might have been the funniest thing he heard in days. He sighed as he looked back to Freyja's disgusted expression. He gestured to Garrus who was lost in his drink.

"Hell... I won't even go into the amount of sexual tension between Garrus and I." John continued, now grinning. "There was a couple times where I thought he was going to go _primal_ on me."

Garrus didn't even look up from his drink.

"At least two or three times." He admitted without hesitation. "If John was a woman, I'd make her mine..."

Shepard tried his best not to have a fit. Liara too was close to laughing. John closed his eyes briefly as he suppressed that horrible guilt of laughing at his sister's Wake. He opened his eyes and found Freyja's appearance was once more solid as she stood there and stared at him.

"Tali is going to be my wife, Deal with it." He told her. He was done with the subject.

Freyja on the other hand did not look quite ready to deal with it. Slowly she smirked, that awful smirk she earned from her bastard father. She knew something that he didn't and he was going to find out real quick. She turned away looking off to where Hannah stood.

"I wonder..." Freyja mused, appearing almost thoughtful. "Does your mother know how close to a _divorce_ she is?"

John narrowed his eyes at Freyja's odd observation. He glanced to his mother, now deep in conversation with Admiral Hackett. He scanned the room for his father and found him. Moving past Latesh, his transfixed on something or someone. Freyja chuckled at the confusion.

"Follow his movements, follow his eyes..." She spoke again, her voice mysterious.

He listened to her words. He moved like he was head over heels, his eyes were staring at someone. That someone was none other than Admiral Shala'Raan vas Rannoch... John blinked, unable to pay mind to Garrus and Liara's looks or Freyja's small laugh.

"Seems like son, like father." The daughter of Jurgan Metzger laughed. "Seems if you bring one into the family and they multiply..."

John snapped his attention away. His brain refusing to comprehend the little evidence he saw. Why would Dad do that to Mom? Find another woman. Take an interest in Shala'Raan when they both knew the implications that could cause a serious shake up in quarian /human relations.

A quarian leader, stealing the husband of an Alliance Admiral? It sounded like bad fiction to him.

"_Shala'Raan and him are just friends._" He stated with an air of finality. "My father's not that stupid."

"Spirits... Shepard... has your woman lost her mind?"

Turning from Freyja and briefly to the source of the cry, Garrus. He looked and noticed a sight that brought the whole room to a silent stand still.

_A quarian out of her suit._

More importantly, his quarian out of her suit.

Tali ignored the stares as she stepped into the room, wearing what looked like asari robes, in the colour of jet black. There was limited clothing for quarians still. Covering her braidlike hair was a familiar fashion pieces from her suit, her mother's headdress. Her was ducked, focusing on the small girl, clutching her auntie's hand as though letting go would be the worst possible thing.

Tali glanced up, catching his eyes. A ghost of a smile was given to him. She turned away and sat on a loveseat offered up by an alliance officer who was too stunned to pay mind to her graitude.

"Tali's so beauitful, John." Liara spoke approvingly, a faint smile as she watched her quarian friend pull the child onto her lap.

Garrus laughed shortly.

"She's _waaay_ out of your league, Shepard."

Liara reached out and smacked Garrus' arm lightly.

"Don't tell her that, John wouldn't want her to trade up."

John paid no mind to the banter between asari and turian. Instead he stepped through the staring crowd and ended up at her side. Tali looked up, smiling, but somewhat shaky. He could tell she was going to be ill in only a matter of time for taking this chance. Sterilization units only did half the job. He doubted any of these people in the house took the same cleaning steps he took.

"Tali... what are you doing?" He whispered to her, glancing down to his niece. He pressed his hand on the back of her head, but is eyes maintained on his soon-to-be wife.

Tali covered John's hand with hers.

"Anastasia would only come out of her room if I came out like this." Tali returned as Anna rested her small head into Tali's neck. "It was the least I could do. Besides, I need to practiced mass exposure."

Smiling sightly, she turned to Liara.

"Liara, I'm so glad you're here." She greeted. Liara nodded back respectfully, she seemed unable to say anything.

Before Garrus could be acknowledged, Tali's head moved past the group of friends and her fiance, her eyes narrowed, her teeth suddenly bared. John turned back and found Freyja was stepping over to them, her eyes staring at Tali. Tali huffed and ignored the look, as well as the shared nervous glances between John, Garrus and Liara. Instead she chose to focus all her attention on the niece in her arms.

"If you're here to start the fight again, don't bother. I'm not in the mood." Tali grumbled broodingly as she kept her eyes off the woman who was once John's and on the small girl in her arms.

Freyja, however was not looking for a part two of their confrontation.

No. Instead the woman reared back her head and _spat_ right on quarian's face.

Tali, Who sat there frozen, not sure what to do. John, furious with the act committed by the sneering woman, ignored the bitch of an ex. Instead, turning to clean Tali of the biological contaminants as quickly as he could.

Liara, on the other hand, knew just what to do. Her hand reach out and yanked the woman back to face her. Before Freyja could react, Liara backhanded the woman so hard she hit the floor, eliciting gasps and cries from those that surrounded them. Grabbing Freyja by the top of her long dress, she pulled the girl back up off the ground and on her feet.

"Garrus and I will teach her some manners. You take care of Tali. We'll talk later." Liara stated curtly.

Without waiting for an answer, Liara left, dragging Metzger along behind her, with Garrus taking the rear. It was not often Garrus wasn't the instigator of violence. Being the rational one in a fight was brand new.

As for John, he was tempted to join them and hand her, her ass, but a hand fell onto his curled up fist.

"Please John, forget her." Tali begged, smiling confidently as she finished wiping her face. "I'll be fine for a little while still. Sit with me. Please?"

As soon as Liara left, gripping the human woman tightly with Garrus following in her wake, he turned and took a seat next to Tali and Anna, who was staring at him with accusing eyes in John's opinion. She knew her mother's death was his fault for not bringing the war to a devastating ending like.

"Alright," He relented. "but the moment I hear a sniffle-"

"I'll let you be my nurse." Tali assured John, her bare hand touching against his. John pinched his nose and ducked his head.

"Doctor... doctor is what I was going for." John corrected her in a mumble, leaning against both Tali and his niece.

Tali could only smile sadly.

**...**

* * *

**...**

He was going to explode if he stood there any longer.

Eric was sick of all of this bullshit. Sick of the fake tears and sympathy. Sick of listening to his wife passive aggressively attack Ash the moment she stumbled up to him, drunk and clingy. He was sick of the whole goddamn fiasco. Sarah deserved so much better, in life and in death.

He needed a smoke. Too bad he gave that up again. He needed to get high.. but he chose not to. He hadn't used drugs other than his prescriptions since Shala'Raan confronted him not too long ago about his role in her daughter, Arah's, life.

The drugs... they didn't seem to have any feeling like they use to...

Ash, still bickering with Hannah, bumped into him, stumbling her friend for just a moment. With a kiss on his freshly shaved cheek, she leaned up into his ear.

"_Don't look now... but I think you have a - a well wisher... looking for her chance to speak to you."_

Pulling her head back and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Ash smiled, looking both very sloshed and strangely full of painful regret. She ushered her head over, gesturing. Eric, confused by his best friend, glanced over in the direction she was pointing out.

There standing there staring at him with her helmet tilted and her hands wrapped together, stood Shala'Raan vas Rannoch.

Eric inwardly frowned. Why hadn't anyone told him this?

He glanced to Ash, whose blurry eyes were looking into his sideways. Smiling knowingly, she turned to Hannah and wrapped an arm around the woman.

"Hannah... Hannah, you lovely lass. Les' go get a drink."

Not waiting for Hannah and Ash to vanish, Eric pushed past them, through the crowd and towards the waiting quarian, whose body language screamed worry for him. He stopped in front of her. No words were spoken as they shared a simple look. Shala stepped forward, her arms latching around him to give the man a carefully executed hug. He returned it and pulled back almost too quick for both of their liking.

"_Shala..."_ He greeted, doing his best to give the woman a smile. He failed, his expression barely containing the grief he held.

Shala'Raan was not looking for a smile. She understood. Her hand reached out and took hold of his forearm tightly, reassuring him that she would be there for him. A source of support he did not receive from his own wife.

"I imagine you would feel much more comfortable speaking somewhere more private." She spoke softly, the rasping of her voice placing a strange emphasis on private.

Eric nodded, grateful that woman could understand him. It was not that he was a private person when it came to grief. The problem was with just how many unfamiliar faces surrounding him; Most of them coming purely out of political motivation rather than knowing just the kind of woman Sarah was.

They filed out of the room almost unnoticed, the only person to see it was John, who was staring at his father as he picked a clearly ill Tali up from her seat. He broke the stare and left wordlessly, leaving Eric and Shala in the clear to flee the scene and head to the guest room on the floor level designated Shala's room during visits.

Shala closed the door behind the two of them and watched as Eric throw down his cane and limped away, sitting on the edge of the guest bed.

"Hannah turned my girls Wake into a sideshow, I reckon that's how she deals with loss." Eric bitterly observed. "Did the same for John as well, but at least she had an excuse for him. Heh... I remember Tali being there. Only quarian there... Only person who cried during the ceremony start to finish..."

Shala'Raan closed her eyes briefly, thoughts of inconsolable Tali coming back to her.

"Do you... Do you want to talk about it, about Sarah?" Shala whispered, hoping to change the subject while not to making the man anymore upset, and hoping beyond hope that Eric realized that it was a conversation that he needed to have for his sake.

Eric merely shook his head.

"No... not right now. Can I-"

"Raincheck?" Shala finished for him, using an idiom that felt so foreign on her tongue. Behind her mask she smiled and nodded, adding. "you know I can. You know you don't have to keep things buried around me..."

Shala's hands reached up and unlocked her helmet. She twitched in fear as did every time she exposed herself. She slid back her veil and pushed the helmet completely off her head, exhibiting a slight gasp from the human watching her wide eyed. It was the second time they met face to face but it was still a thrill for Eric to see this woman taking a risk this big for his sake.

"I thought you could use a little more personal company." Shala admitted, closing the gap between them, her hand wrapping around his. "It will not be dramatic as Tali... but it's something."

Eric huffed out a small laugh, his fingers tentatively reaching up to stroke her cheek. Shala exhaled her body leaning forward into his, her forehead touching his.

"That's all I want... I Just... want something simple."

For the first time in a month, their lips met. For once since Eric found out about Sarah the thoughts of his loss were pushed deep back into the recesses of his mind. They would be there in the morning... for now, all he wanted was her.

**...**

* * *

**...**

"Tell me that will be the last time I have to handle that bosh'tet. Next time... I'm just going to _kill_ her... Why did your mother invite her?"

"Mom turned this into a political affair. A get together under the guise of a funeral. Most of these people had no business being here. Now come on Tali, get in, Temperature is perfect."

John turned back and found Tali standing behind him now naked, her dress around her ankles as she swayed slightly. She was clearly going to be sick from this exposure. How could she be so foolish? He sighed as quickly understood what had happened. It was was for Anna after all.

Before John could react, Tali was unfastening his tie, her lips tightly pressed against his as she took what she considered her. Her mouth opened, tongue tips touching her hand gripped him by the waist, pulling him into her naked form. It did not take long for her hands to grip his ass, pushing his hips into hers, making the clearly ill woman groan as the friction touched against her.

"Tali..." gasped out out as Tali let of his mouth.

Looking somewhat dazed, Tali's hands reached up and wrapped around his shoulders, pushing him gently downwards into the floor. Soon Shepard found himself buried into her naval

"I'm going to be confined to my suit for the next week at least, I might as well have this before I have to lock myself away." Tali almost crooned. "Please John... you haven't... you know, done that in a while..."

John raised an eyebrow.

Tasting Tali so intimately was something they could not do often. Tali was always fearful of infection. The risk was all hers. John was in the clear for consumption of quarian fluids since he went to the late Mordin Solus all those years ago.

A bottle of medical strength antiseptic mouthwash was pushed down to him for him to use. Rinsing his mouth out, he listened to Tali's tight stomach gurgle from just inside the skin. She sounded hungry or close to throwing up... He hoped for the former.

Pulling himself back up just long enough to spit the mouth wash into the sink, he sat back down, feeling as Tali's hands pushed deep into his head of hair.

"Are You certain that's all you want?" He asked her coyly. He was surprised when she nodded. usually she wanted one thing but expected everything else.

"I- I'm much too loud when you're inside me. I do not want anyone to overhear." She admitted in a whisper..

Before Tali could comprehend it, John had pushed his face in to her. Her eyes widened as she shuddered and gasped out the smallest of screams she could produce. Her legs opened , allowing John better access to work that magnificent tongue of his. Her head rolled back as her spine leaned into the counter, while her hands gripped his head of hair tightly.

His hands reached up as his tongue flickered just outside her, they reached and gripped tightly on her hips, making the sweet tasting quarian moan weakly as she fought the sickness coming on while she let him kiss her in such an intimate way... Once she had an immune system that was fully developed, she would fine a way to get him to do this for a day straight.

Tali bit her hand, fighting the urge to make the room echo with a first orgasm, she could feel John's tongue now much bolder, no longer external, but pressing deeper inside her, probing, feeling its way inside her body. Comprehension no longer existed as all he mind could do was think about taking the human there and then, screaming and hissing for the whole house to hear. Making it known that she was the one in charge of him..

She could feel herself gushing, arousal flowing through her and now being tasted by John. She cried, but no sounds escaped her from her strained voice... Oh how she loved this... this incredible sensation, this rare treat he could give her... The way his tongue flickered inside of her... how was it possible? It was like.. it was like his...

Tali groaned as she tugged the human back, so she could taste her on his lips. John groaned, Tali's hands wrapped tightly around his crouch, pushing tightly into the bulged, built by unrelieved pressure of arousal.

"_Oh...oh Keelah_, forget what I said." She moaned as she worked at his pants. "I need you, now."

Tugging his dress pants around his knees and pushing himself inside his fiancee as ordered by the suddenly horny and very sick quarian, Shepard could only happily oblige the request.

**...**

* * *

**...**

Eric's mouth pulled back from Shala's, his chest heaving into hers.

"Did you hear that?" He asked her. The room was pitch black, so she did not see his face contorted into a look of worry.

Shala didn't even pretend to look or act interested. Instead, she simply grabbed a hold of Eric's ruffled collar, her lips wrapping over his as she pulled him back into a desperate kiss. She didn't care for once in her life. She didn't care about her title, she didn't care that he was going to get her sick even if the room had been sterilized, she didn't care that Hannah Shepard was no more then a dozen meters from her.

She had what she wanted, needed, and she was going to make do with it for as long as she possibly could.

"_Grampa?"_

_Oh Keelah..._

**...**

* * *

**...**

"Th-that... oh, John that was perfect." She panted breathlessly as she bonelessly slid down, her perfect bottom hitting and sitting on the bath map, her hands still clutching the man's head, which was still buried in her sweat soaked breasts. He was still buried deep inside her.

Tali giggled drunkenly while whispering several '_thank you's'_, as John's tongue touched against her skin, cleaning her off from that sweet arousal juices she produced. Finally, he pulled back, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"If there is anything else you need..." He finally answered back, sounding almost as dazed as her.

Tali could only moan as her fingers grazed against wet folds, stimulating herself hard enough that her toes curled into his back. She opened her eyes as she tasted herself and him in front of her fiancee boldly. She leaned, her lips catching his briefly.

"I could use you in that tub." She admitted, her eyes hooded as her hand rubbed up and down his chest. "I need a human pillow and someone to wash my back."

John smiled slightly at her commanding voice and nodded. Her wish was his command.

**...**

* * *

**...**

The lights suddenly flickered to life. Shala buried her face as her almost bone white skin heated. She snapped out and pushed the human off her and in front of her, hoping to conceal her presence from the small child. Eric looked up and found himself looking into the confused expression of his granddaughter. Slicking back his hair, he smiled confidently.

"Anna?" He inquired curiously as he pulled himself closer to the child. "Hey... come here... What's up?"

With her helmet back on, Shala turned just in time to see Anna's eyes stare into hers, almost accusingly. Almost as though her child mind could figure out what his had been.

"What are you doing?" She inquired, her question wasn't for Eric, but he answered it anyways.

"Shala'Raan and I were having a little lay down." Eric lied right through his teeth without even blinking. "She traveled a long way and 'm pretty tired too."

Anna's eyes flickered from Shala to her grandfather. Slowly, she nodded accepting the answer.

"Grandma thinks I should go to bed." She finally announced. To Shala, Anastasia did not seem to pleased with Hannah's orders. Eric chuckled, his hand touching against her face.

"It's probably for the best." He said, sitting up. "Shala and I'll tuck you in, okay?"

Taking his granddaughters hand, he stood slowly, unsteadily up. He looked back to Shala, somewhat dazed at the hour or so they shared together.

"Coming?"

Shala smiled behind her mask. _As though he needed to ask..._

**...**

* * *

**...**

Tali was already sniffling.

It didn't really matter if Dad and Shala had installed sanitizers. There was simply too many people in the home that came in contact with her. It was very likely she would refuse to escape her environmental suit for the upcoming nuptials. He could not blame her. He had never really been one to get seriously ill like her

Though clearly sick, she still purred as his hands worked the non-allergenic soaps into her back in slow, wide circles. John couldn't help but chuckle as he watched how fascinated she was acting in the bath. Other then sex. Baths seemed to serve as a thrill in its own right. Bathing in this fashion, not involving a misting and application of antiseptic, all the while still inside the suit was still somewhat rare. Baths were a luxury.

Pooling cooling hot water in a small cup, John brought it up to her hairbraids and soaked them, earning a sudden protesting cry and Tali squirming in the bath until finally, she turned right around, her head pressing into his chest.

"I want us to take guardianship for Anna, John. I _want_ to be a mother for her." Tali spoke up, her head pulling back as her eyes searched his. "I know she will never see me as a mother, but I just _want_ to care for her..."

John could not help but smile at his fiancee's sudden desire for motherhood. It was not long ago that they had their first serious discussion on the subject. He was certain Tali did not want to have this new title through exploiting the death of his sister, but she had a point. Anna was going to need a mother and... well, father figure in her life.

Roles that he would never want Anna to have in his own parents...

"We don't have a say in the matter, not until Sarah's last will and testament is read." He reminded her. Tali's expression of maternal fantasy vanished at his utterance. She appeared almost defeated. John could imagine a more adorable sight.

"I know... " She admitted, almost ashamed at her suddenly selfishness. "but who else is there? Your father and mother have much too busy lives... You and I are essentially left alone most of the time. So why not us raise her? She needs us. You know she does."

John leaned in and pressed lips against Tali's forehead, bringing her to a silence.

"I'm not disagreeing with you." He assured her. "We just have to respect Sarah's wishes. Perhaps she didn't want that for Anna."

His thoughts fell back to his past relationship with his sister. All the regrets came back up to the surface. He wasn't a good brother, not by a long shot. Then again, he wasn't a good son either.

Sarah and him were always at odds. She believed in everything he stood against right up until Torfan. She believed in Cooperation, he believed in power in hand and power just waiting to be seized. She thought the non-humans to be just as human as them. He was dead set against any affiliation with them. Joining the citadel, establishing relations with the turians. To him, they were all enemies just waiting for the right time to strike.

It was a decade long personal war between two bitter enemies, related by blood and, in the end, she emerged victorious over him. He found himself out of Jurgan Metzger's education and into Stephen Hackett, who taught him everything he knew today...

"Perhaps she still hated me." John spoke again, sniffing slightly as he controlled his emotions. "I... I never got a chance to apologize to her... I was _such_ an asshole when I was younger... before I had you."

He could feel wet lips graze against his and Tali's head bury just under his chin.

"You may have had your problems, but I know she loved could she not love you? You were family." Tali returned, almost mumbling as her mouth seemed to drowning in his flesh.

John could not help but cock his eyebrow at his quarians naïve idealistic view on families.

Quarian's in general seemed a lot more family oriented then humans. They could not comprehend how drastically volatile humans could be with their families. Things like abandonment, Divorce and sibling fights simply did not happen. This family commitment was not for any magical reasons, but because quarians focused their lives around devotion to one another. They were a priority, no matter how strained it got.

There were exceptions to the rules in some cases, and John was staring at her.

"Do you still love your father... even after the situation he put you in?" He challenged her to answer.

An answer that did not take as long as he expected. She nodded into his neck without so much as a hesitation. John huffed a laugh, somehow that did not surprise him. Family, in Tali's book, could get away with murder and exile.

"I did not agree with him, but he was my father." Tali said, looking up to him, her eyes unfocused. "I loved him... I just wish he could have showed his love through affection not just fighting for a homeworld."

_Well... wasn't she a saint._

"Well... she had no reason to love me, Tali. Trust me" John pressed on his point to his future wife. "We were two very different people... she was... much stronger than I am. Sarah didn't know how to hate the way I did... She didn't bow into Alliance pressure to carrying on the family tradition and serve. She didn't blindly follow them like I did. She joined when it mattered the most and she did it not just for her race, but for everyone... she never let duty overwhelm her humanity... Not like me.."

John dripped his chin, resting into Tali's wet hair as he fell silently briefly. All he could do was focus on Tali's three beat heart rhythm as it meshed perfectly into his.

"All those people Hackett brought to pay tribute would have been dead had I been in her place." He muttered. "Garrus' baby sister would have been dead for years..."

He shook his head against Tali's.

"It doesn't matter anymore... She's dead..." He concluded with a finality in his voice. He was ready to drop the subject for now.

Tali, however, wasn't finished. Her head pulled back as she looked into John's bLue bloodshot eyes, she did not seem very happy with his conclusions.

"You're allowed to cry, you know." She gently reminded him, her voice held a note of grogginess.

John shook his head. He wished it was that simple...

"I can't, even if I want to..."

Tali sniffled, before the woman could sneeze, John's hand pulled out of the tub and grabbed several tissues from the box he planted there, knowing full well she would need it. Tali smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as she wiped her nose.

The conversation died between them as they quietly soaked together, leaving John wondering why he felt absolutely nothing for what happened to his sister.

**...**

* * *

**... **

After putting Tali to bed and making his rounds giving the mourners a final goodnight, John headed back up to their shared bedroom, the thoughts of the day swirling in his mind. He was stopped several times. Once by Dad and Shala, both of whom hugged him. Mom, Hackett and the Alliance, who all gave him a salute, as though he was the one who had lost her solely, Garrus with a talonshake and his sister Solana with a kiss on the cheek... kissed by a turian... most certainly a first for him.

Liara held him in a hug, for several long minutes. Telling him that he would always have a sister in her.

Considering his past with her... he wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

But... no Anna. She was apparently back in her room, taken there by Shala and Eric not too long ago. It was a relief that that was the case. He still had absolutely nothing comforting to say to his niece, no matter how much he wanted to say something, anything that could express just how terrible he felt, just how much pain this was.

John paused...

The bedroom door was cracked open. Shepard narrowed his eyes, had Tali decided to not sleep?

As he stepped inside their room, hat wasn't the case at all. Tali was indeed fast asleep.. so deep asleep that she did not feel the small grip of Anna as she tugged at the quarians arm n a vain attempt to wake her up.

"_Aunt Tali?"_ She was whispering. John winced, waking Tali during an illness was never a good idea. It was almost like she was hibernating.

So, instead he acted, John snapped his finger, causing the poor thing to yelp and look on her uncle shyly, as though he would yell at her. He sighed, was he really that scary? Anastasia fear of him was not new to witness. Quarian children especially found him to be more frightening than Garrus Vakarian dressed as a ballerina.

Allowing a smile, he brushed his lips with his fingers. As he stepped to her, he bent down onto one knee.

"Hey there, Anna." He greeted in a whisper, his large hand swallowing her small bicep. "Aunt Tali isn't feeling to well, she's fast asleep. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I don't wanna sleep alone." She admitted, almost frightened that he would send her back to the room.

Something John had no intention on doing to her.

Slowly, the uncle nodded to his niece and stood up, not however, before wrapping his arms around her small body and lifted her right up into his chest as though he was cradling a newborn baby, He felt little arms clutched onto him tightly. She cried softly, still and unlikely to ever simply get over what had happened.

Quietly he sat down on the edge of the bed and let go, allowing Anastasia to crawl out of his arms and right up next to her aunt. John followed her lead and placed himself on the other side of the girl. Anna turned back and smiled, a silent thanks for allowing this. John smiled back and leaned in, his lips touching her forehead.

"Try to get some sleep... but don't be alarmed if you hear odd noises." He whispered to her as he pushed half his pillow to her and rested his own head."Tali snores like a krogan battlemaster, when she's not feeling well. It scares even me... And I know someone whose dating a robot girl on my advice..."

The girl did not laugh, but Anna did allowed a ghost of a smile as she nodded. She turned away, sleeping on her side facing Tali's back. John sighed as he rolled onto his back.

This was going to be another sleepless night... compounded by him not able to tell the small girl, now clutching his arm, just how much his little sister meant to him.

**...**

* * *

**...**

**Another chapter down. I hope you liked it enough to review or something. It has a little bit of everything. Anyways, time to get back to finishing this series so I can move on. I have THREE new stories I'm working on at the same time. Each one having a thousand words written already.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and drop a review. It's not a difficult thing to do and I am watching you guys read you know, lol. See any mistakes, PM them (BE SPECIFIC) and I'll get on it. I usually spend the first 24 hours after release looking for errors.**

**DarkDanny.**


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